Imagin Medical recognizes bladder cancer with computer-aided optics
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men, and it is also the one with the highest relapse rate. For those affected, but also for the treating physicians, the fear of the recurrence of the disease is often very stressful. The problem is that the boundaries of the tumor are often difficult to detect with existing imaging techniques. A relapse can only be really avoided if the damaged tissue is removed without residue. The American Urological Society says it clearly: "Incomplete [tumor] removal is likely to be a significant factor in high bladder cancer recurrence." For decades, urologists have relied on the combination of contrast agents and simple optical devices with white light to diagnose and treat bladder cancer. This method has error rates of up to 67 percent. Therefore, with these agents, it is often difficult to accurately detect the edges of the tumor. Exactly for this problem wants the US-based medical technology company I Magin Medical (CSE: IME; FRA: DPD2) offer with its new computerized optics a new solution. In the summer of this year, the so-called i / Blue system was successfully tested in a ten-fold test at the University of Rochester Medical Center
In a study, a fourfold improvement in the speed and accuracy of tumor identification was demonstrated. In parallel experiments, the company announced the successful completion of the critical "proof of concept" phase for its optical modules. The company has completed development of an alpha prototype for its i / Blue imaging technology. In other words, there is a working product! The pure research & development phase is complete. With this successful milestone on the way to commercializing a finished product, Imagin has now officially launched the i / Blue imaging system application process with the FDA.
New strong man on board with access to the industry
Leading the approval process will be veteran entrepreneur Chris Bleck, who has just been appointed to Imagin's board of directors. Bleck has over 30 years of experience in the international healthcare industry. He was responsible for numerous clinical development programs, product launches and stock market rounds, as well as licensing transactions, mergers and acquisitions. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of OvaScience, a life science company focused on the discovery and development of novel infertility treatment therapies.
In previous years, he held leadership roles with Cytyc Corporation (now Hologic, Inc.), Intact Medical Corporation (acquired by Medtronic plc) and Incept BioSystems, Inc. (acquired by ORIGIO a / s). He began his career with Abbot Laboratories, where he held increasingly senior positions over the course of 18 years (eg Corporate Vice President of Pediatric Products and President of Abbott Canada). Mr. Bleck holds a Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Pharmacy and a Masters Degree (MBA) from the University of Connecticut.
Imagin develops powerful new imaging solutions for cancer detection and imaging. The company is convinced that its technology will revolutionize cancer therapy. In minimally invasive procedures, the surgeon is able to visually visualize, detect, and remove cancer cells. Imagin's first target market is bladder cancer. Imagin's advanced, ultra-sensitive imaging technology was developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is based on improved optical design and advanced light sensors.
Cost of high risk of relapse The high risk of recurrence also has financial consequences: According to a 2009 World Urology Journal report, bladder cancer causes the highest cost of care per patient among bladder cancers. Responsible for this are the high recurrence rate and the continuing invasive surveillance of the disease.
The diagnosis of bladder cancer is not a death sentence. With effective intervention , bladder cancer survival rates can be quite high. If diagnosed early, surgical procedures are used to remove cancerous tissue. In addition, the surgery can be successful with minimally invasive procedures, sometimes even on an outpatient basis in the clinic of a urologist. Within a few years of the launch of the i / Blue system, significant penetration of the system in each hospital across the country can be expected. And hospitals are not the only market goal. There are also thousands of urology clinics in the i / Blue market where minimally invasive surgical procedures are routinely practiced today.
In the US alone, Imagins i / Blue technology could be in demand tens of thousands. The market volume, not least in connection with the contrast agent used, goes into the hundreds of millions of dollars. These are orders of magnitude that could also be attractive to established medical technology companies. For this reason, Imagin's visualization technology is also an ideal candidate for acquiring intellectual property rights.
The global market for the i / Blue system is likely to be a multiple of the US market. In Europe today, 17,000 urologists provide a population of 730 million people. As in America , the need for more is expected to increase sharply in the coming years.
